Tag: culture

In Hollywood, when anybody is pitching a project, they have to brace for the inevitable question from the bean counters: “Yes, but what’s it like?”

And by that they mean that they want to know that the “new” thing is reassuringly similar to a film or television show that was popular and made money. Now, it seems, that attitude is creeping into the way we view our cities — with negative consequences for residents and tourists alike.

Update: The closure of GoMA, as addressed in this blog post, was the topic of a spot on radio station 612 ABC Brisbane. Hear Brett Debritz talk to Spencer Howson here.

When I was a child growing up in Brisbane, the Brisbane River was the big divide. If you were born on the north side, as I was, you rarely travelled south of the river. If you born on the south, you never went north.

The emergence of the Cultural Precinct in South Brisbane changed all that. By building a new theatre complex (the Queensland Performing Arts Centre) and relocating the State Library, Art Gallery and Museum to the southside — along with setting World Expo 88 in the grounds that are now known as Southbank Parklands, the state government created a reason for northerners to venture south and southsiders to feel a little smug.